Yep, lot's of education. One person asked me, "but what if I get stuck
in a traffic jam for half an hour. I'll run out of charge". I had to
explain that that's the beauty of an EV - it uses very little energy
when not moving.
Peri
------ Original Message ------
From: "Darryl McMahon via EV" <ev@lists.evdl.org>
To: ev@lists.evdl.org; "EVCO Discuss List" <e...@tricolour.net>
Sent: 13-Aug-15 1:51:04 PM
Subject: Re: [EVDL] EVent: EV ride-n-drives @EcoDistrict EV Day
Just home from this EVent with our 2012 Leaf. I was at the far end of
the static display area, pretty much as last year.
I continue to be astonished by the number of walk-by traffic who are
not aware that pure electric vehicles exist, or are available for
purchase at dealers. My most frequent question for the day was, where
do you put the gas in? followed by, yeah, yeah, I know it can run on
electricity, but where do you put the gas in? Sigh. 35 years of
trying to educate the public on EVs, and this is still the level of
public awareness.
I had three good conversations in 4 hours (not counting the other EV
owners present), but the typical interaction could be summed up as some
or all of the following.
Zero-emissions: yawn. Quiet operation: yawn. Reduced pollution: not
true, we still burn all that coal to generate the electricity, so it
actually increases pollution (where I get to mention there is no
coal-fired generation in Ontario or Quebec - we're standing a few
hundred metres from the border between the two - general reaction:
astonishment or "that's not true"). Sure, EVs might be better for the
environment, but only rich people can afford them - they all cost over
$100,000. So, I tell them our Leaf cost about $20,000 (Cdn) after
rebates and they don't believe it. Low maintenance: really? I heard
you have to replace the battery every couple of years and it costs
thousands of dollars: 8 year warranty on the battery, and experience
with other EVs with similar batteries suggest they will last much
longer than that. But this is the gotcha line: 2 cents a kilometre for
fuel cost (gassers here are typically 15 to 20 cents, real-world, even
with oil under $45/barrel) That's interesting!
There's still a lot of education to be done. My longstanding opinion,
reinforced today: don't talk to people about the enviro-benefits or
climate change; they don't care - instead, talk to their wallets; that
gets them excited.
On 8/13/2015 4:10 PM, via EV wrote:
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:44:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: brucedp5 via EV<ev@lists.evdl.org>
To:ev@lists.evdl.org
Subject: [EVDL] EVent: EV ride-n-drives @EcoDistrict EV Day 10a-3p
8/13 Ottawa.ca
Message-ID:<1439415854590-4677130.p...@n4.nabble.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/5794321-test-drive-an-electric-car-aug-13/
Test drive an electric car Aug. 13
[20150812] By Steph Willems,Ottawa West News
[image / File
http://media.zuza.com/5/4/54efb474-e8a1-4f19-afda-064cc0b61d0e/IMG_8510___Content.jpg
EV Day Organizers of this year?s Ottawa EV Day on Sparks Street are
hoping
for an attendance boost over last year?s inaugural event, pictured
here.
]
Future here now
If you?ve ever dreamed of what the electric car lifestyle feels like,
Ottawa
EcoDistrict will make it easy for you.
On Aug. 13, the parking lane of O?Connor Street at Sparks Street will
be
filled with silently idling electric vehicles, ready for an eager test
driver to hop behind the wheel. The opportunity is part of
EcoDistrict?s
second annual Ottawa EV Day on Sparks street, an initiative that
serves to
showcase EV technology in the hopes of compelling local drivers pass
over
gas-fueled vehicles in favour of a zero emission option.
Organizers from the environmental advocacy non-profit are again
teaming up
with partner Plug?n Drive and members of the Electric Vehicle Council
of
Ottawa to pull off the event.
?Our focus this year is on ensuring we get way more people out at the
(Sparks Street) Mall, have them get a feel for EV?s and get it into
their
minds for a next purchase,? said Don Grant, executive director of
Ottawa
EcoDistrict, adding that there will be a diverse mix of partial or
full-electric vehicles , including the [Mitsubishi i-MiEV, & BMW i3
EVs,
Ford C-Max Energi and Chevrolet Volt pih].
Other EVs might be added as the event date draws closer ...
?We?re hoping to boost demand for EVs not just in downtown Ottawa, but
Ottawa in general,? said EcoDistrict program co-ordinator Clark
Trivers,
adding that this year?s setup will be more helpful for the test
drivers ...
?This year we have an agreement with the city to occupy the parking
lane of
O?Connor to accommodate test drives.?
Grant added that the event has been moved to an August date, rather
than the
September event held last year. Though the weather was fine for last
year?s
EV Day, holding it a month earlier increases the odds of fair weather,
he
said.
Though a wide range of EV or partial-EV vehicles have been available
for
several years, Grant is interested in a slew of new EVs expected to
arrive
within the next year or two that could prove to be game-changers. For
the
ones available for testing at the event, Grant anticipates
participants
won?t have to wait long before getting the chance to slide behind the
wheel.
Ottawa EV Day will be held Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the
bulk of
the action held outside 165 Sparks St., near O?Connor. More
information on
the event, the organization and its partners can be found at
ottawaecodistrict.org.
[? ottawacommunitynews.com]
-- Darryl McMahon
Freelance Project Manager
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